Goodbye, Dolly

I want to reflect on the last four months of my theatrical life.

I'm always asked by people on the final night of a show how I feel. My usual response is that it's always kind of mixed. On the one hand, it's nice to have my evenings back but on the other hand, I miss the people, I miss the friendships, I miss the sense of doing something that people enjoy doing and people enjoy watching.

In May I was faced with a choice. I was doing State Opera's Aida which would finish in August and then I had nothing lined up. It was a weird feeling so I thought about the shows that were coming up and I noticed that The Met was doing Hello Dolly so I thought I would audition. After viewing the film I realised that the only role I could realistically audition for was Rudolph- head waiter of the harmonium gardens. At info night the director, Hermonn, said he wanted someone in his late 40's. Well I'm old, but not THAT old. Then I thought well if I don't try out for it then I won't get the role full stop. To my surprise, I got the role!

That began something that has been a wonderful journey that I embarked upon. Yes there were hard times, a few cross words, some mumbled whisperings behind backs and a few clashes, but by and large it has been a really pleasant group of people to work with.

I think I have walked away from this having made some wonderful new friends who I will miss incredibly when I move. Some of the younger cast like Michaela and Sophia who always greeted me with a smile and a hug (except when Sophia "wasn't in a hugging mood") have always made me feel great. Guys like Brendan and Shay were great people to swap stories with and share a dressing room with. Truly great company. Gemma was the most gorgeous ball of energy who always greeted me with a loud "RODNEEEY!" and a back breaking hug. Lisa also became a good friend when I needed a little encouragement and help- another beautiful soul. It's also very hard to look past the other members of the ensemble like Victoria and Elle from the younger end of the cast to the more elder statesmen like Shirley, Nancy and Robert.

My dance partners Raelene, Courtney and especially Haidee showed tremendous patience and good humour when faced with my two left feet. Ah, how well I remember Raelene looking lovingly into my eyes whilst angrily gritting "left! left! left!" through her teeth. Poor Courtney never lost her smile despite going over one particular step with me more times then I care to remember and Haidee dealt with me by appealing to my twisted sense of humour and mentioned words like "scrotum" and "breasts" copiously.... All three are saints in my eyes.

Then there was the power coupling of Greg and Trish Hart. Never have I been so honored to share a stage with two of the finest performers I have ever worked with. Their professionalism, humour and ability were a credit to the production and a lesson to all the younger folks in the cast. I really hope they all learnt from the unspoken lessons they gave each and every rehearsal.

Behind the scenes I was actively encouraged once again by Carmel who managed to get me to look reasonably assured of my dancing (no small feat) and Hermonn who- German swear words aside- gave me enough wiggle room to fully explore this character I had. And then there was the Stefanoffs- MD Ben and his wife Kristin who not only welcomed me into the show but into their hearts as well. Two wonderful individuals (with a gorgeous puppy to boot).

Yes, I have made many wonderful relationships in this show.

As a final hoorah for me from Adelaide theatre it was more than I ever could have hoped for.

To all the wonderful people who made up the company from Dolly I leave you with the words of Stephen Schwarz from "Wicked"-

Who can say if I've been changed for the better,

but because I knew you I have been changed for good.

The World Goes 'Round, Arts Theatre, Marie Clark Musical Theatre

Marie Clark have gone a strange path for their second musical of the year. Instead of a traditional musical they have opted for a celebration of the wonderful body of work from collaborators John Kander and Fred Ebb. Kander and Ebb gave us some amazing shows like "Cabaret", "Chicago" and "Kiss Of The Spider Woman" amongst many others. Whilst these shows are represented, it's the other numbers in the show from their lesser known works that make this an entertaining evening.

Director Ben Saunders (who also designed the wonderfully versatile set) has assembled a cohesive and dedicated cast of performers who deliver many a wonderful performance. Musical director Gordon Combes has picked his soloists very carefully making sure the right people sing the right songs. Jenny Scarce-Tolley sings up a storm several times but never more so in the duet "The Grass Is Always Greener" (paired with the equally wonderful Maxine Morales). Nikki Gaertner-Eaton nearly manages to upstage her husband Chris Eaton (never an easy feat) in "Ring Them Bells" but the real standout is Omkar Nagesh who not only shows his serious side in "I Don't Remember You" but his humorous side in "Sara Lee".

Kylie Pedler's choreography works well for the most part even if the execution of the ensemble isn't as polished as it could be.

The band suffers from bad audio (always a problem when onstage). The drums couldn't be heard and there was practically no bass, whilst the acoustic instruments had intermittent tuning issues throughout the night. One suspects that with a few more performances under their belt, these problems will iron themselves out.

The sound mix was a little hit and miss on opening night and few lazy follow spots need to be tightened up. However, once these small issues are resolved this will be a very entertaining evening.